Lives Collide

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.

I am sorry again for taking so long to update but I am busy so please have patience. Enjoy the chapter!

Piper had always felt safe in Percy's apartment. It was compact but not small so it was cosy in the winter but not stuffy in the summer. Somehow it managed to shut out the world without letting her feel suffocated. It was perfect for moments of worry or uncertainty much like the boy who lived there.

She was curled up on the armchair now with Jason on the couch to her right. Annabeth was sitting with her feet folded behind her on the same couch while Percy was getting cups of hot chocolate for them. Piper raised her head as Percy handed her a mug and she gave him a smile. Jason and Annabeth got similar mugs and Percy sat down with his own drink in another armchair.

"Now," he said, "What did you want to talk about?"

Piper looked over at Jason, who was blowing his drink cool. He gave her an encouraging grin so she turned back to Percy. "You know that I joined the debate team in school a while back?"

"Ya!" Percy said, brightening up. He looked over at Annabeth and added, "She's great; helped the team to a state championship! Piper can convince anyone of anything when she wants to."

Piper blushed at Percy's praise; causing Annabeth to grin. "Well actually, there was a guy at the state competition who works for admissions at a private school. They, well, they offered me a scholarship."

Percy nearly let the mug slip from his fingers and he laughed happily. "That's great! Piper, that's amazing; is the school good?"

"Yes, yes it's a wonderful school! It's on par with Olympia Academy but..." She looked over at Jason and then sighed. "Percy, the school is in California."

Annabeth watched as Percy's face fell for a moment before he looked at his younger friend again. "And you're worried about moving there? I get it; it's scary having to move to a new place but California sounds nice."

Jason and Piper exchanged confused glances before Piper answered. "B-but Percy I haven't even decided if I want to go!"

"Why wouldn't you want to go? If the school's good and this debate scholarship might lead to a college scholarship. Is it because you're nervous?"

"Well, yes but my life is here! I don't want to move to California. I just wish the school was here in New York."

She finished her sentence with a sigh and Annabeth looked at her with sympathy. "Olympia could do with someone good on the debate team; we haven't won anything in a while. But like I told Percy before, some kids are petitioning for scholarships. Maybe we could do something."

Piper face lit up and she sat up straight, nearly spilling her drink. "Do you think so? I mean, could you say something Percy?"

Percy looked between his friends, keeping silent. Piper looked hopeful; Annabeth looked like she wished she hadn't said anything. She didn't want to give Piper false hope but she had just wanted to comfort her.

Jason met his gaze and Percy read his face like an open book. He did not want Piper to go but he didn't want to stop her getting a good education either. Jason knew that Percy wanted hardly anything to do with his family's companies but with a quirk of one eyebrow, he reminded Percy of what he had said on the roof. Maybe it was time Percy did some good with the money.

So Percy looked back over at Piper, plastering what he hoped to be an encouraging smile on his face. "I'll talk to my dad and these students. Maybe we can get started on those scholarships. But I can't promise anything just yet."

Piper just beamed with happiness, a weight lifted from her shoulders. Instead that weight settled on Percy.

-The office of Hera Olympia; the following day-

"You have to do something!"

Hera let out a slow breath through her nose to clam herself. It was a technique she was using frequently since Luke had barged into her office a few minutes ago. The teenager was pacing the carpeted floor, seething with anger and impatience.

He had been letting Hera handle things with Percy for a while now but from what he had seen, nothing had been done. So he decided to see what was keeping her. "He must be stopped before the Ball. The second he steps on the stage, the fortune is his. We will have lost everything!"

"Don't be dramatic," she scolded him, "I have a plan for Percy and his friends. It had just taken time to...make sure all out bases have been covered. The last thing we need is for everything to be traced back to us."

Luke's jaw clicked slightly as he tried to rein in his temper. He looked at Hera over her glass topped desk. "Whatever it is, are you sure it is the right course? Percy is quite resourceful and annoying perseverant. We don't want to make the wrong move and attack him from the wrong angle."

Hera's mouth twitched slightly at the word 'attack' but she just grinned and leaned back in her plush office chair. "The boy," she said in a disgusted tone, "needs to be taught how far this family is willing to go to protect what is ours."

Luke frowned slightly at her comment. He had long suspected that she was slightly delusional about her claim to the fortune. He at least knew that he was taking what wasn't his but Hera seemed to have the idea that Percy wasn't part of her family line. It was as if she just cut him from the family tree. Luke knew that Percy really did have the best claim to the fortune but Hera really did think that she was more entitled to it. And that sort of delusion made her dangerous; Luke wasn't sure what she was going to do but knowing her and knowing Percy, he was beginning to fear that she would cross a line that she would regret.

Hera took his silence as the end of the conversation so she waved a hand at him and said, "Some of us have actual work to do; see yourself out."

Luke took one last look at her and then hurried out of the office. He put his hands in his pants pockets as he waited for the elevator outside. Hera had mentioned Percy's friends; it was possible that she was targeting them too. That was clearly a bad idea; he knew that the only reason he was still standing from hurting that library friend of Percy's was because Percy was setting an example for that blonde kid who had pushed him at the Academy. Luke shook his head as he stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close.

He knew Percy; he knew who he was up against.

If you hurt Percy, you would be in trouble. If you hurt his friends, it was advisable to flee the country and change your name. Even then, he may find you.

The weeks went by fast and soon the Masquerade Ball was upon them.

The ballroom was decorated in all it finery; the management would hate to lose such a contract as the Olympia Academy Ball. So they let nothing undone or unchecked-repeatedly. Silena had finally gotten the dresses but she refused to let Percy see Annabeth's. The 'costumes' and 'torture devices' as Leo had nicknamed them had been delivered to Percy apartment and his friends had tried them all on. Of course the tuxes fit like gloves and the dresses were just right size.

Percy had been told by his father that towards the middle of the evening, Poseidon would get up on the stage to give the annual speech. It would be then that he would announce that Percy was to be named the heir to the Olympia fortune and Percy would have to go and stand beside him. Hera's deadline would be met and after that Percy could return to his friends of the night.

But the fortune was weighing heavily on his mind. To him it meant that he was trapped; tied to his father's side of the family and the people who had made him feel like an outsider. Yet it also meant exactly what Jason had suggested; he could do good things with the money. He could start the scholarship program and help the community around the diner and the library. His father had not ordered him back to the penthouse and he said that he had no problems with Percy continuing to work at the diner. Although Percy knew that he would have to go to meetings; that meant spending even more time around people he didn't like and who didn't like him.

These thoughts had been plaguing him over and over again and it wasn't until the day of the Masquerade Ball did Jason ask him about it. The diner had been open earlier in the afternoon but Percy had closed it so that everyone could go and get ready. They had taken their dresses and tuxes to put them on at home and Poseidon was nice enough to send two black town cars to pick everyone up in. It wouldn't take long as they all lived around the same area.

But Percy and Jason had offered to clean up the diner and lock up so they were going to go later than the others. Leo had made a joke about how it would mean that Percy and Jason were going to make a dramatic entrance at the Ball but really Percy was hoping to slip in the back while everyone else was busy dancing.

It was just the two of them in the diner, the front door locked and the blinds drawn as they cleaned up. As he lifted a chair to sit on the table, Jason called over to Percy, "So how many members of your dad's family are going to be there tonight?"

Percy was wiping down the counter with a cloth and he rolled his eyes. "Probably all of them. With any luck they'll do what they do best and pretend I don't exist."

Jason continued to put the chairs on the various tables as he spoke. "Do you have a big family on your dad's side?"

Percy shrugged, sending Jason's turned back a frown before replying. "Posideon has two brothers Zeus and Hades. Zeus has a wife Hera but it's pretty common knowledge that he will flirt with whatever walks. But I think she threatened him with financial and personal ruin a few years back if he ever had a kid with anyone except her so he doesn't cross the line."

A small smile came to Percy's face and he continued. "I think they were planning to have a kid later on in life just to get the inheritance but then I showed up at fifteen and ruined the plans. I am the oldest child now, no matter what. Then there is Hades and his wife Persephone. She can't have any kids but Hades won't dream of divorcing her just for money; he actually loved her. He can be a horrible person who will never forget when you've wronged him but...strangely out of all of them he understood how lonely I felt in that family. Not enough to help me but still. His mother in law however, Demeter is a pain in his side. She's a nice lady but so absent minded that I don't think she would even remember me. Then there are the twins, Apollo and Artemis. They didn't like me because...well, I'm not exactly sure why they don't like me. I think it's because they want the money for their various projects. I think that's everyone. Oh, I do know that Luke's father Hermes, Silena's mom Aphrodite and Clarisse's dad Ares are like really, really distant relations of ours; so distant that I really hope it doesn't count but they're not Olympia's."

Jason had turned around and leaned an arm on an upturned chair and was watching his friend. "So that's seven people that you had to pretend to like for a whole year?"

Percy nodded and finished the counter. "Pretty much; I mean they all have their own homes but we had to meet up for a family dinner every week. They consisted of them all making plans I wasn't going to be part of, recalling times when I wasn't around and making snide jokes about my mother. I nearly punch Zeus one evening but my Dad had to physically hold the back of my jacket to keep me sitting down."

"And they're all going to be at the Ball?"

Percy nodded again and looked at him. "Yes, I already told you that. Why are you asking all these questions?"

"I want to be prepared!" Jason protested, "I need to make sure who to avoid and who to keep away from you."

"Keep away from me?"

"Yes; the other and I have your back tonight. We are going to have a good time, eat and drink until Leo pukes, you and Annabeth will dance like love struck idiots and there is a possibility that we may keep those town cars that your dad sent. Whatever happens, the Olympia's will not ruin your night."

Percy folded his arms, a grin appearing on his face at his friend's protectiveness. "Really?" he asked in amusement.

Jason nodded determinately and replied, "Really. Families keep each other safe Percy and we are your family; as dysfunctional as we are."

Percy felt pride swell in his chest, so thankful to the group of people who really did only have his best interest at heart. It surprised him slightly; he was so used to taking care of them that he didn't realise that they were watching out for him as well.

Jason looked around at the diner before turning back to Percy and saying, "I think everything it good down here. Should we head up and get changed?"

Percy agreed and after turning everything off in the kitchen, they walked towards the stairs. Percy was halfway up them when he stopped suddenly, causing Jason to nearly walk into him.

"Wh-." Jason's exclaim was cut off by Percy whirling around and clamping a hand down on his mouth.

They were still; both frozen on the steps. The diner was darkness; the only reason they could climb the steps without falling was because they had done it many times before. Jason was about to remove Percy's hand, when he heard it.

There was the feint chime of the bell at the door of the diner; the door that Jason had locked himself.

Jason's eyes met Percy's and the older boy lifted his hand away. Break-ins and robberies were not rare; it had happened before. Percy motioned for Jason to let him by and the older boy quietly went back down the stairs. Jason was right behind him and when they reached the bottom, Percy looked carefully through the darkness, trying to pick out anything strange. They both stepped lightly towards the long rectangular hole in the kitchen wall that looked out into the diner, to see if they could spot what or who had come through the door. The room was still and it appeared that they were the only two there.

Then a chocked yell from Jason made Percy suddenly spin around.

A man had come out of nowhere, black clothes and beefy arms, which were currently wrapped around Jason's throat from behind. The blonde boy got a grip on his arms as Percy shot forward only to be thrown backwards by someone else.

Percy found himself on the floor with another camouflaged thug standing over him. Percy's leg shot out, catching his attacked in the gut before he could react. The thug doubled over and Percy sent a foot out again this time to smash his heel into his nose.

Percy was up and on his feet as his attacker was clutching his bloody face. He turned around wildly to see that Jason had flipped the other guy over his back and slammed him into the kitchen tiles. The losing assailant grabbed Jason's foot and brought the young teenager down with him, not noticing Percy appear over him. One punch to his jaw dizzied him and his grip on Jason's foot loosened enough to let him scramble into a standing position.

Jason looked up at Percy to give his thanks but his eyes widened with panic instead. "Percy behin-."

He was cut off by the bloodied and beaten attacker shoving Percy into his friend harshly, sending them both to the ground. They looked up only to see both men running out the kitchen door. The boys hurried out the swinging door but the men were gone.

"What was that?! Who the hell were they?" Jason exclaimed running a hand through his hair.

Percy was seething, his jaw tight. He ran a hand over his face before taking a deep breath and asking Jason, "Are you alright?"

Jason nodded and repeated his question.

"I have pretty good idea. I think one of the Olympia's sent them."

Percy went over to the diner's door, seeing that someone had clearly picked the lock. He looked up at the small bell that was above the door. It had broken earlier in the day so that it made a feint noise instead of ringing loud. He had heard it going up the stairs because he had been listening for it all day so he didn't miss a new customer. The attackers must not have heard it when they opened the door.

He had been lost in his thoughts so when Jason tugged on his sleeve, Percy realised that his friend had been talking to him. "I said what makes you think the Oylmpias would do this?"

Percy shut the door and locked it again, making a mental note to get the locks upgraded. "It's the Masquerade Ball; if I get to that stage then the money is mine. Of course one of them wants to stop me."

He walked towards the kitchen again as he continued talking. "Zeus and Hades wouldn't use men like that; trained thugs but not good enough. Persephone and Demeter wouldn't do this and the twins don't seem likely. So that leaves the one person who we know will defiantly befit from me not being at that Ball."

"Hera!" Jason growled out, "I haven't even met this woman and I already hate her."

"Yes, well she just sent two guys to rough us up so I think you have good reason to dislike her. And I don't know how involved Luke is in this."

Percy and Jason checked the kitchen for damages and when everything was given the ok, they hurried up the stairs again. Jason grabbed his tux and started to change just as Percy's phone rang on his coffee table.

He picked it up and answered it, letting out a breath at Annabeth's voice.

"Hey, are you nearly here yet?" she asked.

Percy walked into his room where his suit was hanging up. "We had a bit of a delay; Hera sent some thugs after us when we locked up. Don't worry we're fine."

He had heard Annabeth's intake of breath over the line so he was quick to reassure her. "This was the final straw," he said as he checked the locks on his apartment's windows just in case.

"I am done with hiding in the shadows like I have something to be sorry for; they are the ones in the wrong and they will learn that. There's a change in plan."

"What are you thinking?" she asked quickly, and he could picture her looking around the ballroom at the various guests already there. He was momentarily distracted by thinking about how she might look in her dress but he quickly snapped back into action.

"We won't be going through the kitchens to sneak into that ballroom," he said, "We'll be taking the front door."